MANILA, Philippines—Oscar De La Hoya is not taking lightly his upcoming fight with the Filipino boxing icon.

“We realize it’s going to be a battle,” said De la Hoya, who was in Houston, Texas, Sunday as middle man of the Juan Diaz-Michael Katsidis fight, and at the same time promote his Dec. 6 bout with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

De La Hoya has described Pacquiao “a complex fighter” and referred to the fight as a much closer contest than many predict.

The Golden Boy Promotion owner said he agreed to fight Pacquiao because the Filipino boxing hero and his trainer, Freddie Roach, had challenged him, a reason confirmed by GBP vice-president Eric Gomez during the latter’s visit to Cebu.

“Manny is very complicated; he’s awkward, very explosive with both hands and fast,” De La Hoya told the Houston Chronicle. “The fact that, yes, I am older, and I have to come down in weight, which is going to be a struggle, is going to benefit him.

“But I chose this fight, obviously, because he challenged me, his trainer challenged me, and it was a big challenge for me to take this fight and accept it.”

De La Hoya, who enjoys a big edge in height, reach and build against Pacquiao, did not categorically say if this was his last fight, noting that everything will have to depend on the outcome of the bout.

“If I have a perfect performance against Manny and all the stars are aligned that night, why not?” said the former Olympic gold medalist. “That would be a perfect moment.”

De La Hoya has already opened his training camp in Puerto Rico, and is scheduled to set up camp in Big Bear, California, sometime in October. Salven L. Lagumbay, contributor